Browsing by Author "Cagiltay, Kursat"

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An Analysis of Course Characteristics, Learner Characteristics, and Certification Rates in Mitx Moocs
(Athabasca Univ Press, 2020) Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil; Cagiltay, Kursat; Celik, Berkan
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), capable of providing free (or low cost) courses for millions of learners anytime and anywhere, have gained the attention of researchers, educational institutions, and learners worldwide. Even though they provide several benefits, there are still some criticisms of MOOCs. For instance, MOOCs' high dropout rates or predominantly elite participation are considered to be important problems. In order to develop solutions for these problems, a deeper understanding of MOOCs is required. Today, despite the availability of several research studies about MOOCs, there is a shortage of in-depth research on course characteristics, learner characteristics, and predictors of certification rates. This study examined MOOC and learner characteristics in detail and explored the predictors of course certification rates based on data from 122 Massachusetts Institute of Technology MOOCs (MITx) on edX platform as well as data about the 2.8 million participants registered in these MOOCs. The results indicated that as the number of courses offered and the number of learners enrolled increased in years, there was a decrease in the certification rates among enrolled learners. According to our results, the number of average chapters completed, total forum messages, and mean age predicted course certification rates positively. On the other hand, the total number of chapters in a course predicted the course certification rates negatively. Based on these results, shorter and more interactive MOOCs are recommended by considering the needs of the learners, course content design, and strategies encouraging the enrolled students to enter the courses.
Did You Act According To Your Intention? an Analysis and Exploration of Intention-Behavior Gap in Moocs
(Springer, 2024) Celik, Berkan; Cagiltay, Kursat
MOOC learners come from different backgrounds, and they have various motivations and intentions for taking online courses. This study examines learner intentions with subsequent behaviors and the reasons for the intention-behavior gap in MOOCs. A total of four MOOCs from BilgeIs MOOC Portal was used in this study. This quantitative study with a qualitative follow up includes 9797 participants in total. Learners' behaviors on the courses were compared with their intentions they stated before starting online courses. Four intention-behavior patterns, which are inclined actors, inclined abstainers, disinclined actors, and disinclined abstainers, were used. MOOC learners mostly wanted to complete the MOOCs and obtain certificates, yet they failed to do so, and their intentions changed. The results showed that intention-behavior gap occurs in the MOOCs as the learner intentions did not result in the intended behaviors. In brief, inclined abstainers were mainly responsible for the intention-behavior gap for failing to act upon their positive intentions, and the main reason behind intention-behavior gap was mostly related to the individual learner, including learner related time issues, learner related general issues, and learner related technical issues. More specifically, learners achieved below their intentions in the courses due to lack of time. This study also confirmed that the intention-behavior gap in MOOCs primarily occurs due to non-MOOC related reasons. That is, learners mainly failed to spare enough time for the MOOCs. Results were discussed and future research directions were provided.
Massive Open Online Courses (Moocs) in Turkey and an Analysis in the Context of Turkish Higher Education
(Tuba-turkish Acad Sciences, 2021) Bozkurt, Aras; Kocdar, Serpil; Cagiltay, Kursat; Esfer, Sezin; Celik, Berkan; Karaman, Selcuk; Kursun, Engin
Open and distance learning has evolved on the basis of openness philosophy in education and benefited from various approaches to this philosophy. Different MOOC platforms have emerged in Turkey as a reflection of these developments. The main purpose of this study is to examine MOOCs in the context of Turkish higher education. For this purpose, by adopting the qualitative embedded single case design, the Akadema, AtademiX and Bilge Is MOOC platforms were examined. The findings indicate that MOOCs successfully serve the universal ideals such as offering equal opportunities in education, democratization of education, and liberation of knowledge in Turkey. Besides, MOOCs were found to contribute to adapting to the changes paralleling the transformations in the globalizing world and in the digital knowledge age; strengthening communication and cooperation channels between the society, industry and university; and finally, fostering social justice with an inclusive approach by increasing operational capabilities in diverse educational domains.
Öğretmenlerin Lisans Düzeyinde Aldıkları Öğretim Yöntem ve Teknikleri Eğitimine Yönelik Bir İnceleme
(2024) Tunga, Yelız; Celik, Berkan; Cagiltay, Kursat
Literatürde öğretim yöntem ve teknik bilgisinin öğretmenlerin mesleki repertuarında önemli bir yer tuttuğu ve etkili bir öğretim için geniş bir repertuar gerekliliği vurgulanmaktadır. Bu çalışma, öğretmenlerin öğretim yöntem ve teknikleri tercihlerinin branşlara göre nasıl şekillendiğini inceleyerek, öğretmenlerin bu yöntem ve tekniklerin öğrenildiği lisans düzeyinde aldıkları öğretim yöntem ve teknikleri eğitimine yönelik görüşlerini ve bu tür bir eğitime ihtiyaç duyma durumlarını tespit etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma yöntemi olarak betimsel bir araştırma benimsenmiş ve katılımcılar Dijital Öğretmenler Projesi kapsamında düzenlenen eğitimlere katılan 965 ilkokul ve ortaokul öğretmenlerinden oluşmuştur. Veri toplama aracı olarak sunum hazırlama ödevi ve anket formu kullanılmıştır. Katılımcıların hazırladığı sunumlar ve anket cevapları betimsel istatistikler ve içerik analizi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Öğretmenlerin sunum hazırlamayı tercih ettikleri yöntem ve teknikler arasında sıklıkla altı şapkalı düşünme, beyin fırtınası, problem çözme ve drama gibi geleneksel yöntem ve tekniklerin ön planda olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bunun yanı sıra, çalışma sonucunda öğretmenlerin yarısından fazlası lisans düzeyinden verilen öğretim yöntem ve teknikleri eğitimini yeterli bulmadıkları ifade etmişlerdir. Araştırmanın bulguları, öğretmenlerin öğretim yöntem ve tekniklerine ilişkin mesleki ihtiyaçlarının ve beklentilerinin anlaşılması açısından önemli bir katkı sağlamaktadır.
Uncovering Mooc Completion: a Comparative Study of Completion Rates From Different Perspectives
(int Council Open & Distance Education, 2024) Celik, Berkan; Cagiltay, Kursat
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have received significant global attention but face substantial criticism due to their low completion rates on mainstream platforms. The purpose of this study is to compare MOOC completion rates based on three different perspectives using four MOOCs provided by Bilge & Idot;& scedil; MOOC Portal. The completion rates based on traditional completion rates, active learners, and learner intentions revealed striking disparities in favor of the completion rates based on learner intentions. Specifically, completion rates based on learner intentions significantly exceeded both the traditional calculation and the active learner assessment for four MOOCs. This outcome underscores the critical importance of contextualizing MOOC completion data. By offering a more holistic perspective, this study contributes significantly to our understanding of the progress of MOOC success, particularly in developing countries. It is worth noting that, even when analyzed from different perspectives, regardless of culture and socio-economic factors, this study also underscored that MOOC dropout remains a prevalent issue in developing countries, lending support to the existing criticisms of completion rates. Nevertheless, it suggests that the issue may not be as severe as portrayed by studies relying solely on traditional completion metrics, as alternative viewpoints reveal completion rates that are notably higher.
The Undervalued Variable in Massive Open Online Course (Mooc) Research: an Analysis and Conceptualization of Readiness for Online Learning in Moocs
(Springer, 2023) Celik, Berkan; Cagiltay, Kursat
Together with the developments in online learning field, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have attracted significant attention both in developed and developing countries in recent years. Although online learning readiness (OLR) of learners has been investigated comprehensively in online learning contexts, and several instruments have been developed to measure OLR, this variable has been undervalued in MOOC contexts, and little is known about OLR in MOOCs. For this reason, the purpose of this mixed methods study is to investigate and conceptualize OLR in MOOCs. Particularly, this study aims to examine readiness for online learning in a MOOC context, to investigate the effect of OLR on MOOC completion, and to identify factors contributing to learners' OLR for conceptualizing OLR in MOOCs. The number of participants is 8974 for the quantitative stage and 141 for the qualitative stage. The data were collected using the OLR Scale, system logs, and open-ended question. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and the qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that BilgeIs MOOC learners have high levels of OLR, and MOOC completion was significantly associated with only the self-directed learning dimension of OLR. In addition, the qualitative results revealed whether learners felt ready for online learning. The main reason why they were ready for online learning was learners' previous online or distance learning experience, and the main reason why they were not ready for online learning was having a bias against online learning. The qualitative results also revealed ten indicators which can be used for conceptualizing OLR in MOOCs. The results of this study can be very relevant for the field, and the arguments made might be important for enhancing the effectiveness and success of MOOCs. Particularly, the results obtained from this research are expected to provide important information and recommendations to MOOC practitioners and researchers who would like to study OLR in MOOCs or to develop new perspectives regarding OLR in MOOCs. Also, the results provide essential input for practitioners and researchers studying OLR and could open the way for future studies regarding OLR in MOOCs to support MOOC learners in their online learning journey.